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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · coach · fork · can · toast · chip · leaves · wound

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. can — to be able to
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. spring — the season
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wound — an injury
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. toast — bread
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fork — in a road
  22. can — a tin
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com